The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa

‘My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance.’

1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face.
This all changes with the visit of the Medici family’s most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city.
Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany’s eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin.

A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

My Review:
The Medici and Renaissance are always intriguing and fascinating. They are the poster boys for an age even if the Borgia are more famous for their real or supposed depravation
It was an age of creativity but it was also a violent and cruel age and it wasn’t very kind to women unless you were very strong or powerful.
I read about “mortal sin” in the blurb, please not that paying attention to Church in the sex field as there are tons of Handbookx for Confessor through the centuries that talks about this type of sins, this means they were quite in the top ten of popular sins.
Another note: there’re some women who rebelled and are celebrated through the century and made
Giulia, the heroine of this book, is pawn in the power plays but it’s also a clever and strong woman.
There’s a mix of historical facts and fiction and I appreciated how the author recreated the historical background and did a good job in mixing the different elements.
I enjoyed it and rooted for Giulia, a woman who refused to be the pawn in the hands of the powerful ones.
It’s a well plotted story and I appreciated the storytelling that kept me reading.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Katherine Mezzacappa and Rachel’s Random Resources for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/
https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Social Media Links – Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmezzacappa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinemezzacappafiction/
https://katherinemezzacappa.ie/